Let me save a lot of transitioning military members a lot of time.

Yes… LinkedIn is basically business Facebook.

Yes… The platform can be incredibly annoying.

Yes… People overshare nonsense that should’ve stayed in their family group text.

Yes… There are people calling themselves “LinkedIn influencers,” which is a phrase that should make everyone uncomfortable.

Yes… The algorithm feels like it was built by people who actively hate good content.

And yes… I still think every transitioning service member needs to learn how to use it. Because your frustration with LinkedIn does not change reality.

And reality is simple: Recruiters are there. Hiring managers are there. Business owners are there. Decision-makers are there. Networking opportunities are there. Clients are there. Partnerships are there.

And whether you love it or hate it… It remains one of the fastest ways to build professional visibility.

I’ve been on LinkedIn almost daily for over a decade. I’ve built solid business relationships there. I’ve landed clients there. I’ve sold books there. I’ve built my coaching business there. I’ve met incredible people there.

I’ve also watched veterans completely sabotage themselves on the platform because they either:

A: refuse to use it or B: use it horribly.

Let’s fix that cuz nobody cares that you hate LinkedIn.

One of the weirdest things I see from transitioning veterans is this strange sense of pride around refusing to participate in platforms they dislike. “I don’t do LinkedIn.”

Cool.

Do you also refuse to use email because spam exists? Do you refuse to drive because traffic exists? Do you refuse to go to the gym because some people record themselves lifting?

Every platform has annoying people. That isn’t unique to LinkedIn.

Your job isn’t to make the platform perfect. Your job is to extract value from it. That’s it.

LinkedIn is a tool, not a lifestyle. Not your identity. Not your emotional support system.

It’s a hammer. Use it when needed. Put it down when you’re done.

So, here are some tips to help you out.

1: Get a Professional Headshot: I cannot believe this still needs to be said. Take off the baseball cap. Take off the Oakleys. Stop using your team room photo. Stop using your deployment photo. Stop using your truck selfie. Stop using the cropped wedding photo where half your spouse is still visible.

And for the love of God… use a photo from the current decade.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a call with someone and was shocked their profile photo seems to be from around 9/11.

If you want to be hired into professional environments, look like someone prepared for professional environments. That doesn’t mean you need some ridiculously polished corporate photo where you look like a stock image attorney. It just means look clean.

Look approachable. Look competent. A simple professional photo goes a long way as people make judgments quickly.

Pretending they don’t is naïve and stupid.

2: Stop Translating Military Jobs Into Civilian Roles: This one drives me insane. “Special Forces Communications Sergeant = Senior Telecommunications Executive.” Captain (O3) does not auto-equate to COO.

No. Just stop. You don’t fully understand civilian role structures yet. Just cause some coach or mentor you talked to was blown away by all you do, doesn’t mean you can auto-apply the title to your past.

And when veterans force bizarre translations onto their resumes and LinkedIn profiles, people who understand both worlds immediately see through it.

It looks forced. It looks inaccurate. And sometimes (too often) it looks delusional.

Your job is not to rename yourself. Your job is to explain your actual capabilities.

Trying to force yourself into fake corporate labels makes you look confused. And confusion kills hiring momentum.

3: Stop Lurking: Veterans love to lurk. They scroll. They consume. They click “like.” And then disappear.

That’s not how visibility works.

You have a voice. Use it. Comment on posts. Share thoughtful opinions. Ask intelligent questions. Post occasionally.

You do not need to become a content creator. You do not need daily selfie motivational videos from your truck. You simply need to become visible enough that people know you exist.

Opportunity often follows familiarity.

4: Stop Advertising Your Clearance: Unless you’re pursuing government work, defense contracting, or intelligence roles… Your clearance does not belong in your headline.

And sometimes it creates serious OPSEC concerns. I’ve seen people practically scream: “TOP SECRET SCI ACTIVE CLEARANCE HOLDER”

Why? For what purpose? That information can absolutely be shared later when relevant. Broadcasting it to the internet often makes zero sense.

And frankly, it can make you look like your entire identity is tied to access.

Your value is bigger than your clearance. So act like it.

5: Please Stop With “I Help People…”: I cannot handle another headline that says: “I help organizations maximize synergy through leadership.” “I help businesses unlock growth.” “I help teams achieve excellence.”

Nobody knows what that means. It sounds like AI-generated corporate soup. Be specific. Tell people what you actually do (or want to do).

Clear beats clever. Every single time. Also, since I’m on a roll, I do have empathy for people looking for their next role, but the OPEN TO WORK banner just screams desperation.  It’s not hard to figure out you are available for work; you don’t have to scream it at me.

6: Have a Personality: Too many veterans become robotic on LinkedIn. Everything sounds like it was reviewed by twelve lawyers and a robot HR department.

You are allowed to sound human. You are allowed to be funny. You are allowed to have opinions. You are allowed to show personality.

Professional does not mean sterile. Some of the most successful people on LinkedIn are memorable because they sound like actual human beings (not PowerPoint presentations)

7: Keep Politics Off LinkedIn: I don’t care what side you’re on. Leave it off LinkedIn.

This applies to everyone. Your political post that feels righteous in the moment may absolutely cost you opportunities later.

And before someone screams about free speech: You absolutely have free speech. I believe 100% in free speech.

Companies also have free choice. And many won’t want the drama.

Use Facebook. Use X. Yell at your TV. Do whatever you want.

But understand there may be consequences once you put it on the internet.

8: Prune Your Feed Ruthlessly: You can unfollow people. You can remove connections.

Most people act like these features doesn’t exist. I use it constantly.

If someone adds no value, posts nonstop nonsense, spams your feed, creates constant negativity… Remove them.

Your feed should help you. Not frustrate you. So build your environment intentionally.

9: Stop Sending Automated Garbage DMs: If your first message to someone feels automated…  you’ve already lost.

“Hey Scott, I noticed we’re both passionate leaders…” Delete. Immediate delete.

If you use automated drip campaigns through LinkedIn messaging, I assume you’re terrible at your actual business. If your product were exceptional, you probably wouldn’t need robotic spam tactics.

Be normal. Talk like a human. Engagement and networking takes work, not a quick payment to a marketing company.

10: If You Appreciate Someone’s Content ENGAGE PUBLICLY: This one matters. I get a lot of private messages saying: “Loved your newsletter.” “Great post.” “This really helped me.” And I appreciate every single one.

But many of those same people never publicly engage. That matters. Commenting helps creators. Sharing helps creators. Meaningful engagement helps creators.

And it helps your own visibility too. You don’t need to send private validation while withholding public engagement.

If something helped you, say it publicly. If you disagree with the post, say it publicly (and professionally).

That’s how strong networks grow.

So stop treating LinkedIn like a necessary evil. LinkedIn is not perfect. Far from it.

It is often performative.  Often cringe. Very often frustrating. It can feel fake.

But so can networking events. So can conferences. So can corporate meetings. So can business in general.

Welcome to reality.

Your job during transition is to create opportunities. Not wait for opportunities to magically arrive.

LinkedIn is one of the easiest free tools available to help you do exactly that.

Use it wisely. Ignore the nonsense. Build your network. Share your voice. Learn how business communication works.

And remember: The veterans who win after transition usually aren’t the loudest. They’re the ones who adapt fastest.

LinkedIn may be business Facebook. Fine.

Use it anyway.

And stop making excuses.